Apparatus for displaying photographs



Jan. 21, 1936. H. FABRY 2,028,199

APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING PHOTOGRAPHS I Filed May 13, 1955 PHOTOGRAPH PHOTOGRAPH 9%: 15 fiasa W: 12 we :iv fiieii 9%: M M: \WM FABRIC gags; 4

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PHOTHGRRPH Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR. DISPLAYING PHOTOGRAPHS 6 Claims;

In the presentation of photographs, prints and illustrations for sales solicitation it is desirable that the illustrated matter beso arranged that the presentation is convenient, that it be'presented in flat condition, that space be conserved,

and that disfigurement and soiling after continued use be avoided. It has commonly been the practice to back photographs and prints with fabric and to mount them in a folder or port- 0 folio in such manner that they may be turned over, one at a time, for the desired display. However, photographs, and similar objects in which coated paper is used, have a decided tendency to curl, due to the contraction of the emulsion 15 on the coated surface. This is partially off-set by backing with fabric, but the fabric is easily soiled and tends to ravel at the edges and become unsightly.

My invention has for its object, the elimination of one of the described difiiculties by the simple expedient of adhesively joining the photographs in back-to-back relation. This neutralizes the tendency of the edges of the photographs tocurl and they will remain in flat and usable condition for long periods of time. Preferably,

as an incident to the joining of the photographs,

I incorporate between the upper edges thereof,

a doubled fabric strip and secure a length of I straight wire in said doubled strip. The length of the wire should be such that its ends project beyond the side edges of the photographs; and the assembly is then mounted by bending the photographs and the wire to enable the projecting ends of the wire to enter registering openings in a pair of spaced parallel strips mounted on a suitable support. When the wire resumes its straight condition, the ends will be seated in the side pieces from which they cannot be removed except by a reversal of the described operation.

Thus I am able to provide a. device in which a relatively large number of photographs may be assembled and maintained in proper order, continuously kept in flat condition, not subject to disfigurement or soiling and any. one of which pairs of photographs may be removed and replaced quickly.

The invention will be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which, i

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a folder in open condition with which my improvement has been associated, with the top photograph turned back; Fig. 2 is a. sectional-view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the pairs of photographs ready for insertion into the folder;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the side edge of the assembly shown in Fig. 4; and,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing the method of joining the channel side pieces to the support.

In the drawing I have shown a folder ill, of common construction having a stiff board-ll secured thereto and acting as a support for the 10 side pieces or channels l2. The channels are secured to the support by means of the rivets l3, as best shown in Fig. 6. The channels are mounted with the open sides against the support and their inner walls l4 are provided with spaced, iv registering openings or perforations IS.

The objects to be mounted, in this case photographs, are mounted in pairs, two photographs l6 and I1 being adhesively joined in back-toback relation. A strip of fabric I8 is doubled on 20 itself and the two margins are placed between the upper edges of the two photographs and secured therebetween. At the same time, a length of spring wire I9 is confined within the doubled portion of fabric and the assembly is passed between the mounting rollers and all tightly joined together. Preferably the wire is anchored in the hinge by friction or otherwise to prevent possible displacement in subsequent use. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the wire [9 is of such length 30 that its ends project beyond the sides of the joined photographs and also of such length relative to the spacing of the side pieces l2, that the wire and the photographs must be bent or bowed as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in order 30 that the ends of the wire may be caused to enter the openings I 5 in such side pieces. When placed as indicated, the photographs will be permanently mounted in place and may be used indefinitely in this position. The photographs will remain 40 fiat and a relatively large number thereof may,

as indicated in Fig. 1, be received within a single small folder.

It has been found to be desirable to merchandise the subject of this application by furnishing to dealers the complete structure herein claimed without the photographs having been mounted; in other words to furnish the equipment so as to enable the user to mount his own photographs by attaching them to the hinge member. It may, therefore, be assumed that in any of the accoma panying claims that do not distinctly include the photographs as an element of the combination, it is intended to cover the structure as dispensed to the user with capacity for mounting of photo- 55 toraphs or other pictorial illustrations in the described manner.

While I have referred herein to the display of photographs, it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other forms of display objects and this should be so understood in construing the accompanying claims. It will be understood also that while the device is particularly useful in connection with the commercial display, it is equally desirable and useful for the mounting of more intimate photographs for the home.

I claim:

1. In combination a support, a pair of spaced, parallel walls secured to the support and each provided with openings, a pair of photographs or similar objects adhesively joined in back-toback relation, means at the top edgeof said joined photographs providing a hinge, and a flexible member carried by said hinge, said member being .of greater length than the space between said walls and the ends of which are adapted to enter the openings therein only by fiexure of said member.

2. In combination a support, a pair of spaced, parallel walls secured to the support and'each provided with longitudinally spaced-apart openings, a pair of coated-paper objects joined in back-to-back relation, a doubled section of material at the top edge of said joined objects providing a hinge, a length of wire in said hinge, said wire being longer than the width of said objects, and longer than the space between the walls, the projecting ends of said wire being adapted to enter the openings in said walls by bending said wire.

3. In a display device for photographs and similar objects, the combination of a pair of parallel walls arranged perpendicular to a support therefor and provided with longitudinally spaced-apart perforations, a pair of flexible objects adhesively joined in back-to-back relation and provided with a doubled section of relatively wear-resistant material at the top edge thereof constituting a hinge, a length of wire longer than the space between the walls seated in said hinge and projecting beyond the side edges thereof, said wire and objects being adapted to be bent in order to enable the ends of said wire to be entered in the perforations in said walls.

4. In a device for displaying flexible objects having a coated surface, the combination of a support, a pair of channels arranged in parallel, spaced-apart relation on said support and secured thereto with the open sides against said support, the inner walls of said channels having longitudinally-spaced-apart registering openings, a pair of said coated objects adhesively joined in backto-back relation, a fabric section doubled on itself and adhesively joined to the upper edge of said joined objects, thereby forming a hinge, a length of wire held in said hinge with its ends projecting beyond the edges of said object, said wire being longer than the space between the perforated walls of said channels, whereby said wire and said objects must. be bent in order to effect the entry of the ends of the wire in said openings.

5. In combination, a support, a pair of spaced parallel walls erected on the support and each provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart openings, a hinge member consisting of a doubled section of material, a length of wire in said hinge member, said Wire being longer than the space between the walls and projecting beyond the limits of said hinge member, the projecting ends of said wire being adapted to be entered in the openings in said walls by bending said wire and said hinge member, said hinge member being adapted to receive coated paper objects, such as photographs.

6. In a device for displaying paper objects having a pictorial illustration thereon, the combination of a support, a pair of walls perpendicularly 

